• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.101-130
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• 2009

In recent years, South Korea has often witnessed damages by gusts caused by thunderstorms in summer. The Korea Meteorological Administration defines that a gust happens when the maximum instantaneous wind velocity is 10m/s or more and draws up hourly observation reports. When a cumulonimbus develops due to an ascending current and reaches the height of 12~16 km, the temperature of the cloud top drops and a lightening happens, which causes a gust accompanied by a thunderstorm and further regional meteorological damage. It's difficult to predict a regional gust with the mesoscale prediction model at the administration. Thus this study set out to analyze the damage cases by a gust accompanied by a thunderstorm and to make a contribution to the prediction and understanding of a gust by a thunderstorm. A gust by a thunderstorm happens where potential equivalent temperature converges or is higher than the surrounding areas. The convergence area of potential equivalent temperature matches the track of thunderstorm cells. The Kimje gust took place where high potential equivalent temperature converged, and the Jangsu gust did as the area of high potential equivalent temperature approached. There should be a good amount of vapor supply with the moisture flux converging at the bottom layer in order to bring instability. In addition, it should collide into a dry and cold atmosphere at 700 hPa. The moving track at the center of the low dew point spread corresponds to that of a gust.

• Atmosphere
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.161-169
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• 2013

We examine the effects of the sea surface temperature (SST) distribution on heavy snowfall over the Yellow Sea using high-resolution SST products and WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) model simulations in 30 December 2010. First, we evaluate the model by comparing the simulated and observed fresh snowfall over the Korean peninsula (Ho-Nam province). The comparison shows that the model reproduces the distributions and magnitudes of the observed snowfall. We then conduct sensitivity model simulations where SST perturbations by ${\pm}1.1^{\circ}C$ relative to baseline SST values (averaged SST for $5{\sim}15^{\circ}C$) are uniformly specified over the region of interest. Results show that ${\pm}1.1^{\circ}C$ SST perturbation simulations result in changes of air temperature by $+0.37/-0.38^{\circ}C$, and by ${\pm}0.31^{\circ}C$ hPa for sea level pressure, respectively, relative to the baseline simulation. Atmospheric responses to SST perturbations are found to be relatively linear. The changes in SST appear to perturb precipitation variability accounting for 10% of snow and graupel, and 18% of snowfall over the Yellow Sea and Ho- Nam province, respectively. We find that anomalies of air temperature, pressure, and hydrometeors due to SST perturbation propagate to the upper part of cloud top up to 500 hPa and show symmetric responses with respect to SST changes.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.124-128
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• 2014

Objectives: To evaluate the monthly variation in the airborne $(1{\rightarrow}3)-{\beta}$-D-glucan level throughout one year and its relationship with climatic factors (temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, hours of daylight, cloud cover, and pollen counts). Methods: A total of 106 samples were collected using a two-stage cyclone sampler at five outdoor sampling locations (on top of 5 university buildings). The kinetic limulus amebocyte lysate assay was used to obtain $(1{\rightarrow}3)-{\beta}$-D-glucan levels. Results: Airborne $(1{\rightarrow}3)-{\beta}$-D-glucan levels were significantly higher in the spring, particularly in April, and temperature was significantly related to $(1{\rightarrow}3)-{\beta}$-D-glucan levels (r=0.339, p<0.05). Conclusions: $(1{\rightarrow}3)-{\beta}$-D-glucan levels may be highest in the spring, and outdoor temperature may influence $(1{\rightarrow}3)-{\beta}$-D-glucan levels.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.335-348
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• 1998

The intensive meteorological observations including pibal balloon at Ungcheon, airsonde and 10m meteorological tower observations at Gulup-Do, where are located In the western coastal region, are taken to Investigate the characteristics of the upper and lower atmospheric structure and the local circulation pattern during the period of 17 to 22 September 1996. The diurnal variations of weather elements(i.e. air temperature, humidity, pressure, and Und speeds at Gulup-Do are analyzed and discussed with those at four inland meteorological stations. The vertical profiles of wind vector, ortho- gonality(Ω), and shear obtained from the pibal obsenrations are also presented to examine the change of wand structure according to the synoptic-scale pressure system's movement. The diurnal temperature changes at Gulup-Do are more sensitive than that of Inland meteorological stations In case of the mow of southwesterlies but are not dominant due to the ocean effect under the Influence of relatively cold northerlies. A well defined mixed layer Is developed from the 500m to the maximum 1700m with a significant capping Inversion layer on the top of it. It can be found from the vertical profiles of wind vector that the wind become generally strong at the interface heights between cloud lay- ers and non-cloud layers. The maximum Und shear Is appeared at the bel각t where the varlauon of wand direction Induced by the passage of synoptic-scale pressure system Is accompanied with the In- crease of Und speed. Based on the wind orthogonality, the change of wind direction with height is more complicated In cloudy day than In clear day. In case of a fair weather, the change of wand direction is showed to be at around 2km.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2001

The enhancement of the refractive index structure parameter $C_n^2$ often occurs where vertical gradients of virtual potential temperature ${\theta}_v$ and mixing ratio q have their maximum values. The $C_n^2$ can be a very useful parameter for estimating the convective boundary layer(CBL) height. The behavior of $C_n^2$ peaks, often used to locate the height of mixed layer, was investigated in the present study. In addition, a new method to determine the CBL height objectively using both $C_n^2$ and vertical air velocity variance ${\sigma}_w$ data of UHF radar was also suggested. The present analysis showed that the $C_n^2$ peaks in the backscatter intensity profiles often occurred not only at the top of the CBL but also at the top of a residual layer or at a cloud layer. The $C_n^2$ peaks corresponding to the CBL heights were slightly lower than the CBL heights derived from rawinsonde sounding data when vertical mixing owing to weak solar heating was not significant and the height of strong vertical ${\theta}_v$ gradients were not consistent with that of strong vertical q gradients. However, the $C_n^2$ peaks corresponding to the CBL heights were in good agreement with the rawinsonde-estimated CBL hegiths when vertical mixing owing to solar heating was significant and the vertical gradient of both ${\theta}_v$ and q in the entrainment zone was very strong. The maximum backscatter intensity method, which determines the height of $C_n^2$ peak as the CBL height, correctly estimated the CBL height when the $C_n^2$ profile had single peak, but this method erroneously estimated the CBL height when there was a residual layer or a cloud layer over the top of the CBL. The new method distinguished when there the CBL height from the peak due a cloud layer or a residual layer using both $C_n^2$ and ${\sigma}_w$ data, and correctly estimated the CBL height. As for estimation of diurnal variation of the CBL height, the new method backscatter intensity method even if the vertical profile of backscatter intensity had two peaks from the CBL height and a residual layer or a cloud layer.

• Atmosphere
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.261-270
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• 2015

Characteristics of snowfall and snow crystal habits have been investigated in the campaign of Experiment on Snow Storms At Yeongdong (ESSAY) using radiosonde soundings, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and a digital camera with a magnifier for taking a photograph of snowfall crystals. The analysis period is 6 to 14 February 2014, when the accumulated snowfall amount is 192.8 cm with the longest snowfall duration of 9 days. The synoptic situations are similar to those of the previous studies such as the Low pressure system passing by the far South of the Korean peninsula along with the Siberian High extending to northern Japan, which eventually results in the northeasterly or easterly flows and the long-lasting snowfall episodes in the Yeongdong region. In general, the ice clouds tended to exist below around 2~3 km with the consistent easterly flows, and the winds shifted to northerly~northwesterly above the clouds layer. The snow crystal habits observed in the ESSAY campaign were mainly dendrite, consisting of 70% of the entire habits. The rimed habits were frequently captured when two-layered clouds were observed, probably through the process of freezing of super-cooled droplets on the ice particles. The homogeneous habit such as dendrite was shown in case of shallow clouds with its thickness of below 500 m whereas various habits were captured such as dendrites, rimed dendrites, aggregates of dendrites, plates, rimed plates, etc in the thick cloud with its thickness greater than 1.5 km. The dendrites appeared to be dominant in the condition of cloud top temperature specifically ranging $-12{\sim}-16^{\circ}C$. However, the association of snow crystal habits with temperature and super-saturation in the cloud could not be examined in the current study. Better understandings of characteristics of snow crystal habits would contribute to preventing breakdown accidents such as a greenhouse destruction and collapse of a temporary building due to heavy snowfall, and traffic accidents due to snow-slippery road condition, providing a higher-level weather information of snow quality for skiers participating in the winter sports, and estimating more accurate snowfall amount, location, and duration with the fallspeed of solid precipitation.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.261-267
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• 2007

In this study, the Slab Ocean Model (SOM) is coupled with an Atmospheric General Circulation Model (AGCM) which developed in University of Kangnung based on the land surface model of Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (BATS). The purposes of this study are to understand radiative role of clouds considering of the atmospheric feedback, and to compare the Clouds Radiative Forcing (CRF) come from the analyses using the clear-cloud sky method and CGCM. The new CGCM was integrated by using two sets of the clouds with radiative role (EXP-A) and without radiative role (EXP-B). Clouds in this two cases show the negative effect $-26.0\;Wm^{-2}$ of difference of radiation budget at top of atmosphere (TOA). The annual global means radiation budget of this simulation at TOA is larger than the estimations ($-17.0 Wm^{-2}$) came from Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE). The work showed the surface negative effect with $-18.6 Wm^{-2}$ in the two different simulations of CRF. Otherwise, sensible heat flux in the simulation shows a great contribution with positive forcing of $+24.4 Wm^{-2}$. It is found that cooling effect to the surface temperature due to radiative role of clouds is about $7.5^{\circ}C$. From this study it could make an accurate of the different CRF estimation considering either feedback of EXP-B or not EXP-A under clear-sky and cloud-sky conditions respectively at TOA. This result clearly shows its difference of CRF $-11.1 Wm^{-2}$.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.15-31
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• 2001

The relationship between GMS-5 IR1 brightness temperature (CTT:cloud top temperature) and AWS (automatic weather station) rainfall is investigated on a heavy rain event over the mid-western part of Korea for August 5-6, 1998. It is found that a temporal variability of the heavy rain can be described in detail y the time series of rain area and rain rates over the study area that are calculated from AWS accumulated rainfalls for 15 minutes. A time period of 0030-0430 LST 6 August 1998 is chosen in the time series as a heavy rain period which has relatively small rain area (20~25%) and very strong rain rates(6~9 mm/15 min.) with a good time continuity. In the heavy rain period, CTT of a point and AWS 15-minute rainfall beneath that point are compared. From the comparison, AWS rainfalls are shown to be not closely correlated with CTT. In the range of CTT lower than -5$0^{\circ}C$ where most AWS with rain are distributed, the probability of rain is at most about 30%. However, when the satellite images are shifted by 2~3 pixels southward and 3 pixels westward for the geometric correction of images, AWS rainfalls are shown to be statistically correlated with CTT (correlation coefficient:-0.46). Most AWS with rain are distributed in the much lower CTT range(lower than -58$^{\circ}C$), but there is still not much change in the rain probability. Even though a temporal change of CTT is taken into account, the rain probability amount to at most 50~55% in the same range.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.721-727
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• 2002

Precipitation evapotranspiration and runoff are three key parameters of regional water balance. Problems exist in the traditional methods for calculating such factors , such as explaining of the geographic rationality of spatial interpolating methods and lacking of enough observation stations in many important area for bad natural conditions. With the development of modern spatial info-techniques, new efficient shifts arose for traditional studies. Guided by theories on energy flow and materials exchange within Soil-Atmosphere-Plant Continuant (SPAC), retrieval models of key hydrological parameters were established in the Yellow River basin using CMS-5 and FengYun-2 meteorological satellite data. Precipitation and evapotranspiration were then estimated: (1) Estimating tile amount of solar energy that is absorbed by the ground with surface reflectivity, which is measured in the visible wavelength band (VIS): (2) Assessing the partitioning of the absorbed energy between sensible and latent heat with the surface temperature, which was measured in the thermal infrared band (TIR), the latent heat representing the evapotranspiration of water; (3) Clouds are identified and cloud top levels are classified using both VIS and TIR data. Hereafter precipitation will be calculated pixel by pixel with retrieval model. Daily results are first obtained, which are then processed to decade, monthly and yearly products. Precipitation model has been has been and tested with ground truth data; meanwhile, the evapotranspiration result has been verified with Large Aperture Scintillometry (LAS) presented by Wageningen University of the Netherlands. Further studies may concentrate on the application of models, i.e., establish a hydrological model of the Yellow river basin to make the accurate estimation of river volume and even monitor the whole hydrological progress.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2016

In this study, the time series of the number of days with $25^{\circ}C$ or higher temperatures in the Jeju region were analyzed and they showed a strong trend of increase until recently. To determine the existence of a climate regime shift in this time series, the statistical change-point analysis was applied and it was found that the number of days with $25^{\circ}C$ or higher temperatures in the Jeju region increased sharply since 1993. Therefore, in order to examine the cause of the sharp increase of the days with $25^{\circ}C$ or higher temperatures in the Jeju region, the differences between the averages of 1994~2013 and the averages of 1974~1993 were analyzed for the large-scale environment. In the Korean Peninsula including the Jeju region, precipitable water and total cloud cover decreased recently due to the intensification of strong anomalous anticyclones near the Korean Peninsula in the top, middle and bottom layers of the troposphere. As a result of this, the number of days with $25^{\circ}C$ or higher temperatures in the Jeju region could increase sharply in recent years. Furthermore, in the analysis of sensible heat net flux and daily maximum temperatures at 2 m, which is the height that can be felt by people, the Korean Peninsula was included in the positive anomaly region. In addition, the frequency of typhoons affecting the Korean Peninsula decreased recently, which reduced the opportunities for air temperature drops in the Jeju region.